Khin's Serie

[Content Warning: This description discusses acts of violence, including murder, committed by military forces.] Myanmar Now reported that on 17 October 2024, military council forces raided Sipa village in Budalin Township, destroying nearly 300 of its 500 homes. Six people were killed, five of them Sipa residents: U Tin Hlaing (78), U Kyaung Po (65), U Htet Aung (42), U Hla Sein, and U Thein Lwin, all of whom were brutally mutilated. In the photo at the center of this piece, U Kyaung Po’s sister is shown on one of her daily visits to the site of his death, leaving a cigarette in his memory, as he was known for his love of hand-rolled cigarettes. People like U Kyaung Po’s sister are heroes to me. There are so many people in Myanmar who have lost or been separated from their loved ones because of the military junta. They wake up every day and continue their lives, despite the grief and trauma they carry, and despite the country’s situation. The purple color in this artwork symbolizes hope and aims to soothe those who have lost loved ones, while the layered textures convey the intensity of their emotions. I long for the day when the military junta is brought to justice for all the crimes they have committed and for the way they have forced U Kyaung Po’s sister and so many others like her to become these everyday heroes. Photo credit: Myanmar Now